Month: July 2015

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Okere Constituency in the Eastern Region, Mr Dan Kwaku Botwe, has denied reports that he asked delegates in the Tema West Constituency to vote for the incumbent MP, Ms Irene Naa Torshie Addo, because she is a major feature in the plans of the party’s flag bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo.

Mr Botwe was among five minority MPs, namely Messrs Henry Quartey of the Ayawaso Central, Atta Akyea of Abuakwa South, Daniel Titus-Glover of Tema East and a former General Secretary, Mr Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John, that visited the constituency to canvass for votes for Ms Addo.

At two separate meetings with delegates on the Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church premises in Community Two and the Paloma Hotel on the Spintex Road, both in the constituency, the MPs were heard on tape declaring their support for Ms Addo.

But Mr Botwe, in a sharp rebuttal, told the Daily Graphic that there was no way he could make such pronouncements, because, “I don’t do my politics like that.

I have taken years to build my integrity in politics and there is no way I will say those things”.

“Yes, Hon Atta Akyea spoke along those lines, he told the delegates that he and Torshie had worked in Nana Addo’s chambers and she’s a cabinet material and if she wins, she is somebody Nana can make a cabinet minister.

“I spoke at the meeting but there was nowhere such statements in the story published in Tuesday’s edition of the Daily Graphic came from me,” Mr Botwe pointed out.

An aspirant

He accused an aspirant, Mr Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, who is contesting the incumbent MP, of trying to put the minority MPs in a bad light.

“Of course, Mr Ahenkorah will not be happy that we visited the constituency to support one of their own but we have not broken any law, nobody can stop us from going to the constituency”.

“I believe Mr Ahenkorah who had previously attacked me on an Accra based radio station, Neat Fm, was only using my name in the situation since my name carries weight,” he pointed out.

Source: Daily Graphic

Naser Mahama Toure, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for East Ayawaso, on Tuesday denied media reports that he was pelted with stones at a ceremony to mark the Eid-Ul-Fitr festival at Nima, a suburb of Accra.

He said at the event some people registered their protest about the current power outage, popularly called dumsor, and was initially prevented from reading his speech, but he was not attacked with stones.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, he said, “Nobody hurled stones at me and at no point did I run to take cover as the media reports speculated.

“When tempers cooled down, I read my speech and assured the people of government’s efforts to end the power crisis and other challenges in the constituency, and this went down very well.”

Mr Toure said he would have been surprised to be attacked with stones by people who credit him with a number of development projects, including the face-lifting of Nima market.

He provided the Nima District Police Station with an electricity generator, has been supportive of various community projects in the constituency, including the Nima market pavement project, construction of a major bridge linking Nima and Newtown and provision of ambulance to the Nima Hospital.

The MP has also provided the hospital with a new ward, three-unit classroom block at Yaa Jalal Arabic School awaiting inauguration.

Mr Toure said on Friday, July 24, he would give 300 classroom furniture and school uniforms for distribution to schools in the constituency.

He says he has instituted a yearly distribution of examination materials for junior high students, emergency aid support to disaster victims and residents who need support.

Source: GNA

The Member of Parliament for Obuasi West, Kwaku Kwarteng has downplayed the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Seth Terkper’s assertion that government’s economic policies are working.

The Minister while presenting the supplementary budget and the 2015 budget review to Parliament on Tuesday, stated that the Mahama-led administration is committed to making the governing National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) transformation agenda for Ghana a reality.

The Minister also highlighted some measures, [including a boost in power supply, utilising petroleum resources to set up funds for infrastructure] that government is undertaking to ensure economic growth.

However, the MP in a rebuttal said the current state of the economy is the complete opposite of what Seth Terkper presented in Parliament.

The Obuasi West legislator believes the economy is rather in distress and getting worse every day.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, the MP further pinpointed some factors such as the inflation rate, debt rate, prices of goods and services to justify his position on Ghana’s economy.

“First, our total debt as of May had escalated to 90 billion Ghana cedis. That was from May. If you look at the loans that we have approved and the borrowing from the domestic market government has done, we probably will be exceeding a hundred billion Ghana cedis that will be in excess of 70 percent of GDP,” he said.

“The rate at which the GDPs expand; at the beginning of the year, government projected that it will do 3.9%, but today the Minister said we are sorry, but we don’t think we can do 3.9, we can only do 3.5%. inflation.”

Mr. Kwarteng, therefore, emphasized the need for government to be sincere about the current state of the economy and take austerity measures to address challenges impeding the country’s growth rather than painting a picture that is non existent.

“We should be talking about why the country’s economy is worsening.Terkper said we have gone for more money to put into the economy. This is why we should be worried.”

Citifmonline.com

New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Komenda Edina Ekwafo Nana Ato Arthur has expressed his utmost disappointment at how internal party matters are always discussed in the media.

According to him, the internal wrangling in the NPP creates an impression that they are not ready to win power in 2016.

“Our goal is to make sure Nana Addo will be the president but I’m disappointed how they are going about it,” he said.

His disappointment is after founder member of the party George Ayisi Boateng advised the Presidential Candidate of the party on radio not to put his trust in the National Chairman, Paul Afoko and the General Secretary Kwabena Agyapong, to deliver efficient campaign in the 2016 election.

The member of Council of Elders went on to urge the flag bearer to set up a different team to manage the affairs of the next electioneering campaign for the NPP.

But Nana Ato Arthur speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem Tuesday said Ayisi Boateng could have given the advice to the flagbearer on the quiet.

He noted that washing their dirty linens in public with the aim of gaining favour will rather destroy party unity.

Nana Ato Arthur urged his party leadership to desist from breaking the hearts of Ghanaians who are waiting patiently for Akufo-Addo to liberate them from the shackles of povery under the Mahama-led administration.

He was however confident that the NPP will win the 2016 election despite the challenges the party is currently facing.

“All the same we will make sure we oust the NDC out of power in 2016,” he concluded.

The Member of Parliament for Tema East, Titus Glover has discounted claims by NDC parliamentary aspirant, Michael Nii Abbey that he has failed his constituents.

Michael Abbey on Point Blank on Eyewitness News accused Titus Glover for reneging on his promises to the people of Tema East.

According to Mr. Abbey, the incumbent MP must be shown the exit in next year’s elections because he has lost touch with the people.

“Titus Glover has lost connection with the people, when you fail to fulfill your promise then the people’s trust in you dwindles,”

“For instance he promised the fire service department in Tema that he is going to build an apartment for them, but nothing has been done after the sod cutting ceremony. He also promised a library project for a secondary school in Tema Manhia but that is yet to be fulfilled,” he said.

In response however, Titus Glover blamed the NDC for rather causing the delays in some of the projects within the area.

“Problems should be laid at the doorstep of the chief executive who is playing politics with the project because I had long received the funding for most projects. But the DCE is yet to award the contracts for work to begin,” he said.

Mr. Glover further expressed confidence of retaining the seat for the NPP in the 2016 elections since he believes Mr. Abbey is no match for him.

“He is just seeking votes…I pray that he wins to come and face me and we will know who is popular in Tema East,” he added.